São Paulo’s flower shopping using vintage furniture

Brazilian studio Epicentro has overhauled an old building in São Paulo to create a space for a florist, adding second-hand cabinets and tables to display plants and flowers, a place with different vintage furniture. Influenced by flower shops in the historic Le Marais area of Paris, Epicentro worked closely with the clients to create a special and unique space for Flô Ateliê Botânico.

“The main inspiration for this project came from the clients themselves, who loved the flower shops they found in Marais, Paris, when they were visiting the city and their will to plant little gardens in friends homes,” explain to Dezeen Diego Ferreira (architect).

“Their passion for plants, flowers and gardening led them to create their own place – an atelier and studio with a very strong original design, instead of repeating traditional formulas,” said Diego Ferreira.

A long ago, Athens studio Point Supreme Architects added white-tiled furniture to a Greek florist, while British firm Buchanan Partnership added a rippling timber facade to a London flower kiosk.

Faced with a tight deadline and budget, Epicentro works with materials in their most natural form and sourced furniture from nearby vintage shops.

A black wallpaper patterned with colorful butterflies defines a “cold chamber” that is concealed behind a glass door.

“The a cold chamber works as a refrigerator,” said Ferreira. “Besides keeping the plants fresh longer and assuring their quality, this chamber also works for self-service purposes where the customer can choose the stems, set an arrangement and pack it right there.”